Cleaning implement



1962 A. E. HARTMANN 3,

CLEANING IMPLEMENT Filed March 8, 1960 United States Patent Filed Mar. 8, 1960, Ser. No. 13,515 1 Claim. (Cl. 15-'209) The present invention relates to cleaning implements in general, and more particularly to a cleaning implement embodying a reusable handle which is especially suited for releasably holding an abrading. device including one or more cleaning members, such as metallic scouring pads, sponges, mops, pieces of cloth, and like articles.

An important object of the invention is to provide a cleaning implement embodying a handle which is constructed and assembled in such a way that it may be readily separated from the article or articles which it is intended to support, which may be utilized for mounting difierent types of cleaning members or other articles, and which embodies means permitting rapid and convenient mounting or removal of one or more articles.

Another object of the invention is to provide a cleaning implement embodying a very simple and cheap handle of universal utility which comprises a small number of component parts and which may be rapidly connected with and separated from one or more articles in a very simple way so that it may be utilized by persons with little or no mechanical skill.

A further object of the invention is to provide a cleaning implement embodying a handle of the above outlined characteristics which may be manufactured in all sizes and which may be taken apart or assembled without requiring special tools for such operation.

The novel features which are considered as characteristic of the invention are set forth in particular in the appended claim. The invention itself, however, both as to its construction and its method of operation, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, will be best understood from the following detailed description of a specific embodiment when read in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a cleaning implement which embodies my invention, certain portions of the handle and the abrading device being shown in central section;

FIG. 2 is a larger-scale perspective view showing the outer side of a snap fastener which forms part of the handle shown in FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of an abrading device which is provided with means for facilitating convenient application thereof to the handle shown in FIG. 1.

Referring now in greater detail to the drawing, and first to FIG. 1, there is shown a cleaning implement which comprises a handle 11 including a handgr-ip portion consisting of a length of steel wire or the like and bent over itself to form two elongated arms 12, 13, these arms being twisted about each other, as at 14. The free end portions of arms 12, 13 are bent in mirror re verse into the shape of letters L and thereby define two parallel prongs 15, 16, respectively. The prongs extend through an abrading device comprising a pair of readily penetrable compressible metallic scouring pads 17, 18. The means for releasably securing the pads 17, 1 8 to the prongs 15, 16 comprises two snap fasteners 19, 20, the latter of which is shown in greater detail in FIG. 2. Each snap fastener is formed with an aperture 21 whose diameter equals or slightly exceeds the maximum diameters of heads 23a, 24a respectively forming part of tubular members 23, 24 which are applied onto the prongs 15, 16. Each snap fastener further comprises a resiliently yieldable slotted ring 22 which surrounds ICC the respective aperture 21 and whose sections engage with the respective head to prevent unintentional separation of the snap fasteners from the tubular members 23, 24.

Prior to their connection with theprongs 15, 16, the pads 17, 18 of the abrading device are preferably formed with spaced pairs of bores 17a, 18a, respectively. As shown in FIG. 3, these pads may be prefabricated with such bores and each pair of aligned bores 17a, 1a may receive a peg 25 which is expelled by the respective tubular member when the pads are applied to the handle 11. When mounted on the handle, the outer side of the pad 18 bears against the outwardly bent portions or abutment means 26, 27 of the arms 12, 13 and/or against a special apertured abutment plate 28 which is mounted on the prongs inwardly of the tubular members 23, 24. The outer side of the other pad 17 bears against the inner sides of the snap fasteners 19, 20 and the latter compress the median portions of both pads whereby the marginal portions of the pads are deformed over the snap fasteners and over the bent portions 26, 27. This insures that the components of the handle 11 cannot come into contact with the surfaces of bodies which are cleaned by the pads 17 and 18, i.e. the handle cannot leave scratch marks on the cleaned or polished surfaces.

When the user desires to remove the pads 17 and 18, he merely slips the tip of a knife blade or other fiat implement beneath the fasteners 19, 20 to remove the fasteners by application of comparatively small force such as is necessary to move the annuli 22 over the maximum-diameter central portions of the heads 23a, 24a and the user is then free to remove the scouring pads. A new set of pads, such as the one shown in FIG. 3, may be placed onto the handle merely by aligning the prongs 15, 16 with the pegs 24 and by expelling the pegs in their axial direction. The snap fasteners 19, 20 are secured to the heads 23a, 24a by exertion of a comparatively small pressure such as is necessary to move the split rings 22 in requisite position.

The tubular members or sleeves 23, 24 are press fitted or otherwise rigidly secured to the prongs 15, 16, respectively. The provision of the compressing or abutment plate 28 is desirable when the bent portions 26, 27 do not extend at right angles to the prongs 15, 16 but enclose an obtuse angle therewith. The sleeves 23, 24 may be prefabricated of sheet metal or of suitable plastic material.

Of course, my invention is not limited to the exact construction which is shown in the drawing. In its simplest form, the handle may comprise a single prong, or one of the snap fasteners as well as the complementary head may be replaced by other types of readily separable retaining means.

It will be readily understood that the scouring pads 17, 18 represent but one form of an abrading device which may be mounted on the improved handle. For example, the pads may be replaced by suitably shaped sponges, by a mop which extends between the prongs 15, 16 and the bent portions 26, 27, or by pieces of cloth. The important feature of the invention is that one or more prongs of the handle may be readily connected with releasable retaining means which hold in position an abrading device consisting of one or more throwaway articles. Thus, instead of being discarded with the articles when the latter outlive their usefulness, the handle may be readily separated from one set of articles and connected with another set in a very simple, rapid and convenient manner.

Without further analysis, the foregoing will so fully reveal the gist of the present invention that others can, by applying current knowledge, readily adapt it for various applications without omitting features that, from the standpoint of prior art, fairly constitute essential characteristics of the generic and specific aspects of this invention and, therefore, such adaptations should and 'are intended to be comprehended within the meaning and range of equivalence of the following claim.

What is claimed as new and desired to be secured by 'Letters Patent is:

A cleaning implement comprising, in combination, an abrading device consisting of penetrable material and having a compressible median portion and a marginal portion surrounding said median portion; and a handle comprising a handgrip portion, a pair of spaced substantially parallel prongs rigid with said handgrip portion, abutment means for the abrading device located intermediate said prongs and said handgrip portion, a tubular member mounted on each prong and extending through the median portion of said abrading device, each tubular 20 member having a substantially spherical head projecting beyond the median portion of the abrading device, and snap fastener means releasably connected to each head for retaining the abrading device on the tubular members between said abutment means and said heads, the length of said prongs being less than the thickness of the median portion of said abrading device in uncompressed condition of said median portion whereby said median portion is compressed upon application of said snap fastener means to the heads of said tubular members and the marginal portion of the abrading device extends beyond and conceals the snap fastener means.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 750,280 Heimann Jan. 26, 1904 895,472 Knickerbocker Aug. 11, 1908 1,685,062 Carr Sept. 18, 1928 2,305,340 Ellestad Dec. 15, 1942 2,645,845 Vengris July 21, 1953 .2,699,563 Duncan Jan. 18, 1955 

